Help
by SARuhh
Summary: Set after Teach Me Tonight. After Luke sends Jess back to New York, Liz kicks him out and he ends up homeless. With Jess' health deteriorating, his friend Amelia is not sure if he can survive. Jess and Luke centric.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the OC. The WB owns Gilmore Girls.**

Well, I've decided to post a new story. It's pretty short, but I'd like some input on it, so I've decided to post it.

Alright, here's the first chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

Please review!

* * *

It was freezing that night in New York City, snow falling lightly on the cold ground. A boy was fiddling with a lighter, holding it up to the end of the cigarette hanging from his lips.

"Shit!" he mumbled, the flame disappearing each time he finally got it to appear. He threw the cheap lighter on the ground, cursing once again.

"Here," a girl smiled, holding out a lighter, the flame swaying gently in the January wind. He nodded at her and lit the end of his cigarette.

"Thanks Amelia," he took a drag and hugged his shivering body.

"No problem, Jess," she smiled, stuffing the lighter back in her pocket. She looked over at her friend sympathetically, the boy's jacket tattered and worn out, unlike the girl's new black peacoat.

"Why are you out here with me, Amelia?" the boy asked, his voice trembling. "It's ten degrees. Didn't know you found me that irresistible..."

She rolled her eyes and playfully smacked her friend's arm, "I can handle the cold, Jess," she announced, smiling. "Besides, I thought you'd like some company."

"Thanks," he nodded, inhaling the smoke into his lungs. The boy began coughing violently, startling the girl for a moment.

"Jess, it's only going to get colder out here," she told him, her voice quivering with worry. She ran a hand through her hair, sighing. "You have to find a place to stay."

"I'll be fine," Jess assured her, "I can take care of myself."

"Jess," she started, "It's been two months since the accident back in that town. Call your uncle."

"No," Jess snapped. His eyes remained glued on his cigarette. "He doesn't want me there, nor does Liz want me here."

"Jess, please," she begged. "If you stay out here any longer, you could die."

"I'll survive," he stated, coughing harshly.

His coughing seemed to contradict the point. "Jess," Amelia began.

"Go home, Amelia," he told her, standing up and grabbing his duffle bag. He didn't need her lectures.

"Jess, please call your uncle!" she pleaded, standing up and walking over to him, "I don't want to watch my friend die out here!"

"Leave me alone, Amelia!" Jess yelled, his voice hoarse, "Just...go home."

"Jess--"

"I've got to find a place to sleep tonight," he told her, hoisting his bag onto his shoulder, "I'll see you tomorrow."

He walked off towards the park, leaving Amelia to her thoughts.

Ever since Amelia met Jess, she had had her worries. Jess's condition had gotten worse each night he spent out in the city, and it was at the point that she simply couldn't let Jess remain living from bench-to-bench. Ever since his mom kicked him out again, the boy had been wandering the streets, refusing help whenever it was offered by any of his friends. It had been about two months since he had gotten back, and six weeks on the streets had nearly killed him as it was. He had lost so much weight during that time, his body looking fragile. The smallest gust of wind, Amelia swore, could knock him over. Jess was persistent, however. He wouldn't take the help that she offered--not the shelter, the food, or the new coat. It was apparent he was punishing himself. He felt that he let his uncle down because of that accident back in Stars Hollow. She knew he thought a lot of his uncle, and it was apparent when he was shipped back here he didn't look too happy. Amelia and everyone else thought he would be excited to come back, he not wanting to go to that small town in the first place, but they were wrong. The boy hadn't been himself since he came back. It was like that town had stolen something from him. Amelia knew he would give anything to go back, to have another chance to make things right, to make his uncle proud. Jess being Jess, of course, wouldn't admit to any of this aloud, but they all could tell that was what he really wanted. He was too afraid to speak to his uncle though, too afraid to ask for help from the man he had let down. He thought for sure he would be rejected, she could tell. She sighed and began walking to her apartment.

"Well then," she spoke to herself, a determined smile plastered on her face, "If you won't call him, then I will."

* * *

Jess settled on a bench, curling his body up, shivering madly from the cold. He began coughing violently, each cough causing bile to rise up in his throat. He moaned and shut his eyes tightly, begging for the coughing fit to end. He wished he was back at Luke's, sleeping in his make shift bed, music blaring, heavy sheets covering his body. He ruined everything though. After what he did to Rory, Luke would never want him back. The entire event was an accident--he didn't mean to, but the town didn't see it that way. As far as they were concerned, he was driving and _he_ had hurt their precious Rory. It tugged at his heart strings. Rory was the only one other than Luke who liked him. Rory was his only friend in that small washed-up little town and he would never want to hurt her. Lorelai hated him for sure now as well. Before the accident, she had been able to stand him, but after that, he knew the Gilmore would never forgive him.

Jess felt another round of coughing coming on. He shut his eyes tightly and gripped his coat. The coughs were more violent than the last, causing the boy to gasp for air in between each one. Once the fit was over, he sighed and relaxed his aching body, letting his hands release their tight grip on his jacket.

The wind blew fiercely, causing the boy to tremble more frantically. He moaned and held his body tightly.

He wanted to go home, he wanted to be under his warm covers. He wanted to be in Stars Hollow with Luke.

* * *

Thanks for reading!

I know there wasn't any Luke yet, but he'll come in during chapter two and beyond. This is a Luke/Jess centric, of course.

Please, please, please review. It gives me inspiration to post faster.

:)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Thank you all so much for the reviews and favorites! I'm so happy you all like my story!

Alright, here's chapter two. I really hope you enjoy it!

Please review!

* * *

"Luke!" Lorelai called from her table, her daughter sitting across from her, "We need caffeine, got to start the day!"

Luke sighed and walked over to the two Gilmores, coffee pot in hand. He filled their cups and quickly walked off to another table. The diner was packed and Luke was frantically taking orders and filling cups. He walked back over to the girls and got out his order pad.

"What can I get you two?" he asked annoyed, pulling the pen out from behind his ear.

"Aren't we grumpy today?" Lorelai teased, looking down at her menu.

"I don't have time for this, Lorelai," he told her, motioning to the packed diner, "I've got a lot of

people to serve."

"Fine," she whined, "I'll have scrambled eggs."

"I'll have pancakes Luke," Rory told him, giving him an apologetic smile.

Luke nodded and wrote their orders down. He walked over to the back and handed the order to Caesar. It was hardly an easy day for Luke. It was days like these, as he rushed around the diner, trying to keep up with all the customer, that he wished Jess was still here. He really needed the boy's help. Since Jess had left, Luke had not been his old self. He felt like he failed the boy, shipping him back to his mother's. He had called Liz everyday for the first few days to check up on his nephew, but after twenty calls and no answer, he realized that he wouldn't be hearing from them anytime soon. Jess must be happy there though, Luke thought, the boy never seemed to like it in Stars Hollow. He tried to convince himself that, but nothing seemed to console the fact he missed his nephew's presence in the diner. He had gotten so used to it that its absence made things feel odd.

The phone began ringing, snapping the man out of his thoughts. He walked behind the counter and answered it.

"Hello?" he asked, placing the coffee pot on the counter.

"Um, hi, is this Luke Danes?" a voice asked.

"Yes, and who is this?" Luke questioned, annoyed that the call was cutting into his work.

"Oh, my name's Amelia," the girl informed him, "I'm a friend of Jess'"

"A friend of Jess'?" Luke asked, causing Lorelai to look over at him. Jess? Jess was gone, why would one of his friend be calling Luke?

"Yeah..." the voice on the other line confirmed, "You _are_ his uncle, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Luke remarked, "I'm his uncle."

"He really needs your help," the girl informed him, "He's not doing so good."

"What do you mean? Is he getting into trouble?" Luke was panicked. Lorelai just stared.

"No, Liz kicked him out," Amelia told him in a matter-of-fact tone. Suddenly, her voice became nervous, "He's been living on the streets for a while now."

"What?!" Luke exclaimed. He should have known Liz would do something like this! Taking a deep breath, he tried to compose himself. "When did she kick him out?"

"About six weeks ago."

"Oh God," Luke took off his cap and ran a hand through his hair. It was worse than he thought...

"He's really not doing good," Amelia repeated, "He's sick and he hasn't been eating. It's getting colder down here and I'm afraid that he'll die if he stays out in the cold any longer."

"Alright, I'm going to come to New York, alright?' he announced, "I'll find him and bring him back here."

"What!?" Lorelai couldn't keep her mouth shut any longer. "That kid is not coming back here!"

Rory glared at her mother, scolding her for making the comment. It was rude.

Luke appeared unperturbed by Lorelai's objection and continued to talk to the girl.

"Amelia, right?" he asked, making sure he was remembering the right name.

"Yeah," she confirmed.

"Do you know where I could find him?"

"Yeah." She said nothing more. Luke didn't need to hear anymore.

"Alright, will you meet me at the bus station near the park? I'll take the next bus that leaves for New York," He looked over at the clock.

The line was silent for a moment as Amelia collected her thoughts. "Yeah," she agreed, "I'll meet you there."

"Alright." Luke said nothing more. Lorelai glared.

"He wouldn't call you for help," Amelia informed the older man, "He was afraid you'd say no."

"Why would I say no?" Luke asked. He was baffled. The kid may have been a pain, but he was still his nephew.

"Because he thinks he let you down," Jess' friend answered, "He thinks you didn't want him to ever come back there."

"No," Luke sighed. Did his nephew think so little of him? "It's the exact opposite. I want him back."

"I have to go find him," Amelia's voice had a hint of urgency, "See how he's doing."

"Alright, I'll see you at the bus station."

Luke hung up the phone and smiled. Jess wanted to come back, he wanted to come home.

"Alright people, I'm closing for the day!" Luke yelled, "You all need to be out of here by the time I get back down here."

He went up the stairs and into his apartment. The boy's bed was still set up, Luke feeling that as long as the extra bed was out it'd feel more like Jess was still there.

"Luke!" Lorelai burst through the door, her voice loud and angry, "You are not letting him come back, not after what he did to Rory!"

"It was an accident, Lorelai," Luke told her, grabbing his coat, "He didn't mean to."

"Luke--"

"He needs me, Lorelai," Luke sighed, "He's homeless. He has nowhere to go and his friend is afraid he'll die the way things are going."

Lorelai just stood there, looking down at the floor.

"I have to help him, Lorelai," Luke walked up to her, "He's my nephew. He needs me now more than ever."

Lorelai sighed and nodded, "You're right," she agreed. "Go." She moved away from the door and let Luke through.

He left the diner and made his way to the bus station, finding the schedule and catching the next bus to take off for the big city.

* * *

Thank you all so much for reading.

I'll try and update again as soon as possible!

Please, please, please review!

:)


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the OC!**

Thank you all so much for the reviews! I' so happy you guys like it! Thank you for taking time out to give me input on my writing!

Alright, here's Chapter Three! I hoe you all like it

Please Review!

* * *

Amelia sat next to Jess, worried. The boy was coughing violently. Once the fit had ended, Jess rested his head against the wall and took a large bite of his hot dog.

"You just happened to buy two hot dogs," he asked with a smirk.

"Yep," she shrugged, smiling, "I was just so full from the first one that I couldn't eat the second."

"Sure," he sarcastically remarked, smiling as he took another bite of the hot dog.

"Where'd you sleep last night?" she asked, pulling out a cigarette.

"Caesar's Palace," he remarked, eyeing her cigarette.

"Really, Jess," she sighed, reluctantly handing him the cigarette, "Where?"

"My usual bench in Central Park," he told her, placing the cigarette between his lips and exhaling smoke.

"You know, it reached zero degrees last night," she admitted. She couldn't hide the concern in her voice.

"Really," he nodded, holding the cigarette between two slender fingers, "Because last night felt just delightful to me."

"It'll be worse tonight."

"Sounds just dandy," he replied, flicking the ash off the end of his cigarette, "Always liked the cold."

"Jess--"

"Started a new book this morning," he stated, forcing a change in subject. He pulled out a book from his back pocket and tossed it onto her lap.

"_Notes of a Dirty Old Man_?" she flipped through the pages.

"It's by Charles Bukowski," he informed her. "Amazing author, amazing poet."

"Hmm," she smiled, closing the novel. "Seems like your type of book."

"You should give reading a shot," Jess smirked, "You might just learn something."

"'Cause I'm not already smart enough?" she asked, grinning, "That girl from Stars Hollow, the one you were always talking about--"

"Rory," he interrupted. He couldn't hide the smile that appeared on his lips.

"Yeah, her," she nodded, "You said you two were alike. Did she like to read?"

"Yeah," he smiled, thinking of Rory. He missed her so much. He missed their talks about music and books. She was the only friend he had in that town and he loved being around her. Who would have thought he'd end up missing living there so much? He thought he would hate it there, but the place grew on him. Who would have thought, Jess preferring a small, chilly town over such a glorious, freezing city?

Jess began laughing to himself. The thought amused him. His pleasure was cut by a harsh coughing fit. The boy clutched his coat.

"Jess--" Amelia started, Jess raising his hand up to stop her.

Once the fit had passed, Amelia let out a sigh of relief and looked down at the time on her cell phone.

"Well, I've got to go for bit," she smiled, standing up, "I'll meet you at your bench in an hour, alright?"

He nodded and took a drag.

She walked off, heading towards the bus station.

* * *

Luke got off the bus and sighed, trying to figure out what to do now. He realized on the way there that he had completely forgotten to ask the girl what she looked like. He sighed once again and ran a hand through his hair. There was no way he was going to be able to find Jess without her. He walked out of the station and looked around. He suddenly noticed a girl holding up a sign with the name _Uncle Luke_ written on it in red ink. He walked over to her and she smiled.

"Are you Amelia?" he asked.

"Yep," she smiled and held out her hand for the man to shake, "That's me."

He grasped her hand and shook it.

"I'm Luke," he informed her.

"I kind of guessed," she said, "Jess told me what you looked like once, he said to imagine a lumberjack without the beard wearing a baseball cap."

Luke let out a chuckle and rolled his eyes, happy to hear his nephew was still his cocky self.

"Do you know where he is?" he asked Amelia.

"Yeah, he'll be at Central Park," she smiled, "I told him to meet me in an hour so we have enough time to get there from here."

"Alright," Luke nodded, smiling, "Lead the way."

She smiled and began walking. Luke followed behind her.

"Thanks for coming," she told him, stuffing her hands in her pockets, "He really needs you."

Luke nodded and they crossed the street.

"Why did Liz kick him out?" he asked. The question had been roaming his mind for hours.

"Her boyfriend and Jess got into a pretty bad fight, the man pounded on him. Liz told him to get out if he was going to cause problems with her and her new boyfriend." Her voice became soft and quiet.

"Oh God," Luke sighed, "How bad was he hurt?"

"Black eye, a few bruises. We asked him to go to the hospital but he refused." They made their way into the park and the girl continued, "The bruises still haven't healed yet."

Luke nodded, his concern for his nephew becoming more evident in his expression.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, they stopped at a bench where a boy was sleeping, curled up to his body.

Luke saw the familiar black curly hair, shockingly lacking its usual gel, and knew it was Jess.

"Jess," Amelia spoke his name sweetly, gently nudging the boy, "Wake up."

His body began to move, a harsh couple of coughs escaping his lungs. He sat up and looked over at Amelia, then over to Luke. His eyes widened and he stood up.

"Uncle Luke?!" he asked, shocked. He was cold, not delusional.

"Jess," Luke gave his nephew a smile, examining the boy up and down with his eyes. The bruises from the kid's fight were still noticeable, his left cheek a yellow color. The bruise was healing. His right eye was surrounded by a painful looking purple swelling, a small cut underneath it. He was extremely pale, the bruises and circles under his eyes the only color on his face. The layers of clothing the boy was wearing couldn't hide how skinny he was. Luke was shocked, he had never imagined he would see Jess in such a state.

He went up to the boy and hugged him, holding the boy's frail body against his chest.

"What are you doing here?" Jess asked, his voice hoarse.

He held the boy tighter, wishing that he hadn't shipped him back to Liz, feeling that the longer the boy was in his arms the longer he'd be protected.

"I've come to take you home."

* * *

Thanks for reading!

Next chapter is all Jess and Luke. It's much longer than this one too.

I'll try and update as soon as possible, maybe on Sunday, or even Saturday.

Thank you all so much for reading and please, please, please review!

:)


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the OC.**

Well, as I said, I would try and post this weekend an here you go, a chapter filled with Luke and Jess.

Thank you again to all of your who have reviewed, favorite, or added my story to your alerts. I'm happy you guys like it!

Well, here's chapter four, enjoy!

* * *

"So Amelia called you," Jess stated as he and Luke walked through the park. He was completely shocked to find his uncle standing next to Amelia after his afternoon nap. He didn't want Luke to see him like this, bruises from his mother's latest fling adorning his face. He was ashamed to bear the marks, they made him seem defenseless and weak.

"Yeah," Luke nodded, watching his nephew's fragile form carefully, feeling as if the boy might collapse at any moment.

"Figures," Jess shrugged, "She'd been bugging me to call you for weeks."

"Why didn't you?" Luke asked, almost angry at his nephew for being so stupid, "You should have gone to the hospital after Liz's boyfriend hurt you and you should have called me." He regained his composure and sighed, "Jess, you have no idea how worried I was the second your friend told me you were homeless. She was afraid you were going to die."

"I can take care of myself." Jess retorted, "I'm sorry Amelia got you so worried, but I'm fine."

Luke stopped walking and grabbed his nephew's sleeve.

"You call this 'fine?'" he motioned to Jess' weak form, "'Jess, you look like you're dying."

"Aren't we all?" he mocked, sitting down on one of the benches near them.

"Jess," Luke sighed, sitting beside the boy, "if I had known what living with Liz was like for you--"

"You wouldn't have shipped me back?" Jess snorted, crossing his arms and leaning back, "It was for the best, Luke. I hurt Rory. If the whole town didn't hate me before then they sure do now." Jess looked over at his uncle, pain in his eyes. "Anyway, it was a mutual agreement, remember?"

Luke sighed and looked at his nephew, "I agreed because you seemed like you wanted to go back. You hated it in Stars Hollow."

"It was beginning to grow on me," his nephew mumbled, "I liked living with you more than I ever liked living with Liz." He sighed, before adding, "You actually took care of me. With Liz, I was the one taking care of her."

They sat on the bench silently for a minute, each lost in their thoughts. Luke glanced at his nephew every few moments. Jess stared intently at the ground.

"I can come back, right?" Jess broke the silence and looked over at his uncle almost pleadingly.

Luke simply nodded and squeezed his nephew's shoulder.

* * *

The bus ride back to Stars Hollow was long and quiet. Jess slept all the way back, his head resting on his uncle's broad shoulder. He planned to give the boy a good examination once they got home to check for any other injuries. He'd have to get Jess medication for his cold as well, his coughs sounding painful and harsh. He hoped the boy hadn't caught pneumonia. Life seemed to be miserable enough already for Jess.

The bus came to their stop and Luke gently nudged him, causing Jess' eyes to flutter open.

"Jess, come on, buddy," his uncle soothed, "We're back in Stars Hollow."

The boy stood up as Luke grabbed his duffle bag. They walked off the bus and made their way back to the diner. Once they got closer to their destination, Luke noticed someone sitting outside of the diner. The figure looked over at them and stood up quickly, brushing the wrinkles off their jeans. Luke realized it was Lorelai as he got a few feet closer. He hoped she wasn't there for coffee, because now was definitely not the time.

As they reached Lorelai, she smiled and greeted them.

"Hey Luke," she nodded, "Hi Jess."

The boy replied with a small nod and looked over at Luke.

"Lorelai--" Luke started.

"Jess, I'm sorry." she blurted out, "I'm sorry I made Luke send you back to Liz."

"It's alright," Jess replied, "I understand."

"I'd like to start over," she suggested, "Forgot all the things that happened and start fresh."

"Yeah," Jess nodded, "I'd like that."

Lorelai nodded and smiled at the boy, "Well, I should get home." she told the two men, "You should get Jess inside, he doesn't look so good."

Luke nodded and unlocked the door to the diner.

"If you need anything, you know where to find me," she told the two, beginning to walk away, "And Jess" she added, turning back around to face him, "I'm happy you're back."

The boy gave her a smile and replied, "Me too."

Luke held the door open for Jess and the boy walked in. The pair made their way upstairs and into the apartment.

"Sit on the couch," he told his nephew. Jess obeyed and sat down. Luke kneeled down in front of him and ran his thumb over the bruise on his cheek.

"Liz's boyfriend did this to you?" Luke asked.

The boy merely nodded, his gaze falling to the floor, "It was a home-warming present."

Luke swore, if he ever got his hands on that twisted man he would make him pay for what he did to his nephew.

"Any other bruises from the fight that I can't see?" he asked.

The boy took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves, revealing two large hand like bruises on his wrists.

Luke grabbed the boy's wrists gently, examining them.

The boy began coughing violently, breaking Luke's gentle grip on his right wrist and covering his mouth. Jess' eyes widened as the coughs became more harsh. Luke quickly sat up on the couch and tried to remedy the cough, rubbing soothing circles around his nephew's back. Once the fit stopped, the boy regained his composure and looked over at his uncle.

"I caught a bad cold," he shrugged, his voice sounding raspy.

"Sounds like it," Luke nodded, helping the boy up and into bed.

"We'll go to the doctor's tomorrow," Luke told him as Jess pulled the covers over his frail body.

"Yeah," he yawned, "That's not happening."

"Jess, you're going," Luke said sternly, turning off the lights.

"Yeah, sure," Jess mumbled as he shut his eyes, his body craving sleep.

Luke rolled his eyes and made his way over to his bed.

"I need music to sleep," Jess reminded his uncle.

"I know," he smiled, reaching down near the boy's bed and turning his stereo on, causing Metallica to blast through the speakers.

For the first time ever, Luke couldn't be happier to hear the loud music blaring. Jess was back with him, where the boy should be. He was home.

* * *

Thank you all for reading!

Please, please, please review! I love to hear what you guys think of the story!

I'll try and update again this week, but it depends on how much work I get for school. Mid-terms are sadly next week.

Thanks again for reading and please review!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

I told you all I'd try to post later this week, and here you go! Thank you all so much for the reviews, I'm trying to reply to all of them from now on.

Here's Chapter Five, I hope you enjoy it!

Please review!

* * *

Caesar was running the diner the next morning, Luke still taking care of Jess. Lorelai and Rory walked in the door and sat down at a table. Rory looked around anxiously, trying to spot Jess.

"Honey, I don't think he's working right now," Lorelai told her daughter. "He looked pretty sick last night."

"I can't believe he's back," Rory mused, looking over towards her mother, "I'm happy you're giving him a second chance. He really is a good person."

"A good person who hurt my daughter," Lorelai mumbled. Rory glared. Lorelai sighed,

"Accidentally," she reluctantly added, "And I will not hold that against him. He's earned himself a clean slate."

Rory nodded at her mother and looked towards the stairs, Luke appearing briefly, looking behind him before muttering something to himself and heading back upstairs.

"What was that about?" Rory questioned, staring at the spot Luke had just been in.

"I don't know, but you know me," Lorelai smirked, "I have to find out."

Rory rolled her eyes as her mother got up from her chair and headed up to Luke and Jess' apartment.

* * *

"You're going to the doctors Jess," Luke said sternly, pointing a finger at the boy who was sitting on the couch, arms crossed.

"Yeah, sure," he rolled his eyes and got up, "And who's going to make me?"

"Lorelai and her army of hungry diner customers!" Lorelai announced, walking through the door.

Jess raised an eyebrow at the eccentric Gilmore before turning his attention back to Luke.

"Really?" he asked, "And you're friends with this lunatic?"

Lorelai ignored the boy's comment and walked up to the pair.

"Jess, you really don't look so good," she said sympathetically, "Just go to make your uncle happy."

Jess sighed and grabbed his coat from off the ground.

"Fine," he walked towards the door, turning his head to face a shocked Luke, "Why are you just standing there? Are we going or what?"

"Yeah, yeah," he nodded, "I'll be down in a minute."

The boy shrugged, a small coughing fit escaping his lungs, and headed downstairs.

"Thanks, Lorelai," Luke smiled, nodding at her, "Thanks for giving him a second chance."

"Well, everyone deserves another chance," she smiled. "But if he messes this one up, there will be no more Miss. Congeniality."

Luke rolled his eyes and walked towards the door. "I've got to get him checked out now," he smiled. "It's a miracle you even got him to agree to go."

"Well, what can I say? On top of being Sandra Bullock, I'm also the Miracle Worker," Lorelai smirked, following Luke down the stairs and into the diner.

The two spotted Jess sitting at a table, Rory next to him. Rory was holding a book, Jess leaning over to watch her turn the pages.

"What's it about?" she asked Jess, skimming a page.

"It's a collection of articles he wrote," Jess smiled, "It gives you more of an insight into the way his thinks, his life philosophy."

"Hm," Rory nodded, "I think I may give it a shot."

Jess smiled and took the book back from Rory, stuffing it back in his pocket, "You should."

"I'm glad you're back Jess," Rory smiled, "I missed you."

"I missed this whole town," he told her. "Oddly enough."

Rory giggled as Jess stood up, noticing Luke and Lorelai coming over.

"Well, we should get going," Luke stated, looking over at Jess.

"Fine," he sighed, making his way to the door and opening it, "Lead the way, lumberjack."

Luke rolled his eyes and walked out the door, Jess following behind him.

* * *

Luke placed a plate of food in front of his nephew. The doctor had told Luke that Jess needed to gain weight, the boy underweight for his height and age. Jess didn't seem to be too worried about it nor his cold. He was being as stubborn as ever, arms crossed. He stared down at the plate.

"I'm not hungry Uncle Luke," Jess stated, trying to stand up. Luke quickly and firmly pushed the boy back down. Jess struggled against his uncle's force, "I'll eat later."

"You need to eat," Luke insisted, crossing his arms.

"I'm not going to magically gain weight from eating one meal, Luke," the boy sneered, "Besides, it can wait."

"Jess, the doctor said if you got any worse you might end up in the hospital."

"I'm not hungry." Jess repeated, unperturbed by the threat.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn Jess?" Luke groaned, sitting down in the seat across from the kid.

Jess looked over at his uncle. The man looked tired. Jess sighed and took a bite of the hamburger on his plate. He didn't mean to cause so much trouble for his uncle, the least he could do was eat to make him happy, even if he wasn't hungry. Luke looked up.

"After I eat this," Jess stated, pointing at his senior, "You stop bothering me about food and my cold until dinner, alright?"

Luke nodded in agreement, smiling as he watched his nephew take another bite. He wondered what would have happened to Jess if his friend hadn't called him. Would he still be sleeping on that bench right now, cold and sick, starving? Would he have eventually called him, finally realizing that he needed help?

"You know, I'm here for you whenever you need me, Jess," Luke told the boy, causing him to look up from his meal.

"I know," he nodded.

The two men sat in silence for a bit, Jess finishing up his hamburger. Luke decided to break the silence with a question that had been wandering his thoughts since the phone call from Amelia.

"Why didn't you call me the second she kicked you out? I'd been calling your apartment but you two never--"

"You called?" Jess interrupted, looking at the man incredulous.

"Yeah, I was trying to check up on you, see how you were doing."

The kid stared down at his empty plate, "Liz never told me you had tried to call."

"You two never answered the phone when I called." he shrugged, watching the boy slide into his chair, his eyes never leaving the empty plate.

"Our apartment's usually empty a lot," Jess told him, "Liz is out doing God knows what and I usually don't go home till late."

"Oh," Luke nodded, watching the boy get up and place his plate in the sink. He turned to face his uncle, his hands wrapped around the edge of the counter.

"Thanks for giving me a second chance," Jess finally admitted. "I won't screw things up this time, and I don't plan on getting in any other auto wrecks either."

"Good to hear," Luke nodded, giving the boy a smile.

"Well, I feel like crap," Jess stated simply, referring to his cold. "I'm going to go sleep."

"I'll see you at dinner," Luke smiled.

The boy nodded and got into bed while Luke headed down to the diner.

Luke smiled. For once, it seemed that things were finally the way they were supposed to be again. He had to admit it felt good knowing Jess was safe up in the apartment, where the boy should have always been.

* * *

Thank you all so much for reading!

I'll try to post this weekend since mid term week is next week and I'm guessing I won't have much time to post.

Please, please, please review!

:)


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

As promised, here is a new Chapter. Thank you all for reading and reviewing that last one!

I hope you guys enjoy Chapter Six!

Please review!!

* * *

Jess sat down on the bridge, cigarette between two fingers on his left hand. After about seven days stuck in that apartment, Jess decided to go out for a bit, craving two things he definitely couldn't get inside that shack: privacy and a smoke. He had managed to sneak out consistently almost four times since the third day back, usually when Luke was in the back of the diner. If Luke knew he was out here, he'd flip out. The man had pretty much been freaking out since Jess got back, bringing up the kid's cold and weight frequently. Jess sighed and placed the cigarette to his lips._ What if he was sick_, Jess thought with a smirk. He could imagine the man in a hospital, getting tested for his own mental health. He always thought Luke was a bit psychotic, especially when he kept company like that Gilmore. A snicker. His uncle was worried, sure, but it was just a cold. Jess wouldn't end up in the hospital, he's had worse. The boy's musings were interrupted by a startling coughing fit, causing Jess to grip the bridge tightly. He fought to breath, the coughs preventing him from getting any oxygen into his lungs. He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, causing him to almost gasp in-between coughs. He quickly grabbed onto his collar tightly. Once the fit had ended, he let out a sigh of relief. Talk about punishment for thinking ill of that woman and her lover-in-denial.

"Alright," the boy hoarsely spoke to himself, "I'll give it a rest."

"Jess?"

The boy looked over towards his right and noticed the elder Gilmore standing a few feet away. Think of the devil, and there she comes...

"Your uncle is going crazy! He said he went to check on you upstairs, and you were gone," Lorelai announced, walking up to the boy and kneeling down, "Whoa," she exclaimed shockingly, noticing the boy's appearance. His skin was snow white, his lips almost looking as if there was a tint of blue to them, "Looking a little Jack Frost there, aren't you?"

Jess just glared. Count on the woman to already allude to Christmas specials. Lorelai sat next to him and watched his skinny hand lift a cigarette to his mouth.

"Didn't they ever tell you smoking kills?" she suggested in good humor, "Only you can prevent lung forest fires..."

"Thanks for the concern," He sarcastically bit back. He fought back a small fit of coughs.

"Look, Jess, you really shouldn't be out here." Lorelai commented, watching the kid gently tap the ash off his cigarette, "It's almost ten degrees out here and you're sick." She noticed the boy was shivering a bit, "Not to mention you're not even wearing a coat!" she shook her head. At least the kid was wearing a long sleeve shirt, a paper-thin one, that was.

"Hmm," Jess remained unperturbed, looking down at his shirt, "Must have forgotten it."

He took another drag of his cigarette, a few coughs escaping his lungs once again. He couldn't even enjoy a cigarette because of his stupid cold. Lorelai snatched the stick out of his hands, much to the boy's displeasure.

"Hey," he mumbled, his body too tired to start a yelling match with the woman.

"Look, Jess, if you're not going to wear a coat with a cold and in the ten degree weather, the least you can do is set the cancer stick aside. Your uncle's worried about you." she stated, forcing him to stand up, "You ought to go back to him."

Jess stumbled as she got him to his feet. He stuffed his hand into his pocket and pulled out another smoke. She snatched the cigarette from him. "Just give me the stick back, Lorelai! It's my last one!"

"Ha ha, if you want, you'll have to get it, Jim Stark!" She started running in the direction of the diner. Jess stood frozen for a moment, shaking his head. He didn't know sometimes who was the town's biggest nut case: Lorelai or Kirk. He pondered it for a moment. Lorelai. No doubt.

He started after her, meeting her near the dance studio. She was peering in the window. He was panting. "You know, the second Luke sees me I'm stuck in that apartment for God knows how long." He announced.

"I'm aware." she confirmed nonchalantly as if she wanted that to happen.

"And you're going to make me suffer that fate?" Jess mocked as she dragged him closer to the diner.

Before Lorelai could reply with a sassy remark, Luke ran out from the diner, rushing over to the two.

"Jess, where the hell were you?!" he asked furiously as he reached them.

"I found him sitting on the bridge," Lorelai chirped in, "Practicing his audition for ER."

Jess glared over at Lorelai, annoyed beyond belief. "Funny," he sneered, "You ever think about being a stand-up comic?"

"The thought's crossed my mind," Lorelai replied, watching the boy stumble a bit, his balance failing him.

"Jess, get inside," Luke ordered before Lorelai could finish, enraged. He had been worried sick about the boy, and he was definitely in no mood to watch the two's sarcastic banter.

"Alright," the boy stated, hands up in defense as he began to walk. "I expect to see you upstairs in five minutes, mister!" Jess spoke in a mock authoritative voice, his body turned to face his uncle, his shaky left index finger pointing towards the man, "Ready with your lecture."

"Jess, just get upstairs." Luke told his nephew, relaxing slightly.

Jess stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned around. He went into the diner, leaving the two to themselves.

"Luke, he looks terrible," Lorelai finally remarked, "He looks worse than Jack Dawson at the end of the Titanic."

"The doctor told him to rest. They said if it gets any worse that he may need to go to the hospital." Luke sighed, "Jess doesn't seem to care though. His health means nothing to him apparently." he grunted, "I'm just going to have to keep a watch on him."

"Good plan," Lorelai nodded, "Be a prison warden."

"Lorelai--"

"No, I'm not saying you shouldn't check up on him," Lorelai clarified, "Just don't go overboard with the overprotectiveness--we don't need two Titanic causalities."

Luke nodded, "I've got to go talk to him, set some ground rules." He told Lorelai, "He won't be getting out of the house for a long time."

"Ooooh, cold like that iceberg. I approve, Leo." Lorelai smiled.

Luke just shook his head, walking away.

"Remember to lock the cell door, wouldn't want him to escape during the night!" Lorelai cried.

Luke continued walking.

* * *

Luke walked into the apartment to find Jess sitting on the couch, his eyes glued to the page of yet another book. Luke walked past the boy, causing him to quickly glance up from the page.

"Need some help with that lecture, Uncle Luke?" Jess asked sardonically, his eyes still focused on the words in his book, "I think you should start with the famous, 'What the hell were you thinking' bit, that's always a crowd pleaser."

"Alright then, you want a lecture, you got one!" Luke yelled as he walked back over to Jess, standing tall above his sitting nephew.

"Nice vocals. I see a little Lorelai rubbing off on you with the dramatics. You ought to be concerned."

"Lorelai's not part of this! Why would you leave without telling me--No, scratch that, why would you even leave at all?! Do you not realize that you're sick? It's nearing the teens out there and you're not even wearing a coat! Do you want to end up in the hospital?!"

Jess closed his book and looked up at his uncle, a smirk plastered on his face.

"Always liked the nurses," he commented. "Class dismissed?"

"Jess--" Luke growled. He was in no mood for the boy's sarcasm.

"No, no, the lecture was great, Luke," Jess cut in, "I thought you would have prepared more though." Jess' smirk quickly vanished as a harsh set of coughs began to exit his lungs, startling both the men. Jess covered his mouth and leant over a little, the pain in his chest causing him to double over.

The anger vanished from Luke's face and was quickly replaced with concern. He sat down next to Jess, laying a hand on the boy's back.

"You sound worse," he told his nephew as the boy finished coughing, "I think we need to go to the hos--"

"No," Jess yelled, his voice coming out cracked and hoarse, "Don't even bring that up. We're not going, I'm fine!"

"What happened to liking the nurses?"

"I...was...being...sarcastic...Luke." Coughs separated the words.

"Jess, really--"

"You can't make me go there!" Jess stood up and faced his uncle, "I-" A harsh round of coughs interrupted him, causing the boy to stumble back a bit. He covered his mouth with one hand while the other gripped tightly at his chest.

"That's it, Jess! You're going!" Luke yelled, standing up and rushing over to the boy.

Jess couldn't stop coughing, each cough causing his chest to hurt more. His legs suddenly gave out on him, the boy falling to his knees. He gasped for air between breaths, focusing all his strength on getting oxygen into his lungs. He felt phlegm coming up with each cough, making it even harder for him to breath. When the fit finally stopped, Jess was gasping for air, Luke by his side, the man frantic.

"Are you okay, Jess?"

"Just honky dory." Jess looked down it his hands, shocked to see one specked with a red crimson liquid. He cursed.

"Is that blood?" Luke asked, his voice trembling with fear as he grabbed the boy's hand.

"Luke," Jess looked up towards the man, taken back. He was scared, but the boy would never admit it. Why was he coughing up blood? How had his cold gotten so bad? Everything suddenly became blurry for the boy, the room swirling around him. Jess' body fell sideways to the floor, unconscious.

"Jess!" Luke grabbed the boy's limp body into his arms, "Shit!"

The boy was barely breathing, his pulse weak. Luke laid him down on the couch and rushed towards the phone, dialing 911 quickly, looking over at Jess' unconscious form every few seconds, making sure he was still breathing. This couldn't be happening, he thought. His nephew was going to be alright, he had to be.

* * *

Thanks for reading!

I'll try and update sometime this week, but I don't know if I'll be able to. Mid-term week this year is going to be hectic, I can feel it.

Please, please, please review!

:)


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews, I've responded to everyone, I think.

Mid-terms are finally over so I have a lot of free time this weekend. Here's Chapter Seven for you guys.

Enjoy, and please, review!

* * *

The ambulance ride was long, Luke holding his nephew's hand the whole way. The medics had restored Jess' consciousness by the time they got there, relief falling over Luke as the boy's eyes fluttered open. Jess was barely there though, the kid rarely responding to the many questions the medics asked him as they rode in the ambulance. Luke tried to keep his composure, answering the many trying questions in lieu of him.

It was a daunting task; the boy was scared and so was he. The kid was supposed to be fine; this wasn't supposed to happen. Why didn't Luke take more charge of the boy sooner, before it got to this? If he had forced the boy to stay in, if he had kept a better eye on him, this never would have happened. Now Jess was strapped to a stretcher, an oxygen mask covering his mouth.

When they arrived at the hospital, the medics rushed Jess away from Luke, leaving the man to worry alone in the waiting room. What was wrong with Jess? Did he have pneumonia? Luke sat down in a chair and ran a hand though his hair. Why couldn't he have just forced that kid to stay inside? He should have taken better care of him. Luke let out a sigh and slid down into the plastic chair. It felt like he'd been waiting forever before a nurse came up to him.

"You're Luke Danes, right?" she asked, "I saw you come in with a Jess Mariano."

"Yes," Luke nodded, "Is he going to be alright?"

"I need you to fill out this paper work," she told him, handing him a clipboard, "I'll call you when you can see him."

"Will you answer my question?" Luke snapped, angry that he was being told nothing about his nephew's well-being.

"He should be fine," she answered, a bit taken back by the man's tone, "The doctor can tell you more, but I can assure you he's resting."

"Sorry," he apologized, "I didn't mean to snap like that, it's just--"

"No, it's alright," she soothed, "I understand. I'll find you when the doctor tells me your nephew can have visitors."

"Alright, thank you," Luke nodded.

He watched the nurse walk away, then turned his attention to the paperwork. He grabbed the pen and began filling out the forms, eager to get them done. He wanted to see Jess, thinking that maybe the forms would help the time go by faster. He was just finishing up when the nurse returned.

"You can go see him now," she smiled, "The doctor is in with him. He'll fill you both in on what's going on."

Luke quickly stood up and followed the nurse as she led him to Jess' room. They walked for a bit, passing the rooms of many other patients, Luke always hoping the next one would be his nephew. The nurse stopped at a door and smiled, informing Luke that they had finally reached his nephew. Luke nodded a quick thank you to the woman before walking in.

Both Jess and the doctor looked up towards him, Jess' bed tilted upward in a leaning position. Luke's attention immediately went to the boy, studying his appearance. The kid's face was a pale white, circles under his eyes. He looked terrible. Luke noted all the tubes and wires connected to the boy's arms, one going through the boy's nostril. It looked like it was almost impossible to move, the wires retraining him.

"Luke Danes, correct?" the doctor asked, causing Luke's attention to move to the man, "I'm Dr. Roberts," he held out a hand for the diner owner to shake, Luke accepting the gesture. "Your nephew's cold has turned into a serious case of pneumonia," he told Luke, "He'll have to stay here for a week or so for observation, just until his body is well enough to care for itself."

Luke nodded, looking over at his nephew once more, surprised to see the boy not protesting the suggestion. Jess had never been a big fan of hospitals, nor had Luke, it was shocking to see the boy not cussing out the man for such a recommendation.

"I understand he was living on the streets for a bit before coming back to you," the doctor continued, "Which explains his low weight. His weight played a big factor in this, it left him with a weak immune system, making it harder for him to fight the small cold he had, letting it develop into something much worse."

Luke sighed and nodded once again. He should have made sure the kid was at least attempting to gain weight. This was all his fault.

"He's on a medication for pneumonia and also has a feeding tube," the doctor added, Luke glancing over at his nephew's form as the man identified all the tubes to him, "If there aren't any complications, he should be able to go home when the week's over, maybe sooner if his body permits it."

"Alright," Luke said to the doctor, "Thank you."

"I'll let you visit with him," The man walked to the door, stopping for a brief moment and turning around, "I'll be back to check on you later, Jess." The boy nodded in response as the doctor left the room.

Luke sat in the chair next to Jess' bed, causing the boy to tilt his head in his uncle's direction.

"I feel like crap," Jess stated, looking at his uncle with tired eyes.

"I know," Luke ran a hand through the boy's black curly hair, "You'll feel better soon though."

"I should have listened to you," he muttered, his eyes fighting to stay open.

"Just rest," he shushed the boy, rubbing his thumb soothingly down his nephew's cheekbone. Jess nodded and shut his eyes to the touch. He looked so childish and small in that bed, scaring Luke for a moment. In his state, it wouldn't surprise Luke if there was some sort of complication. He continued stroking the boy's cheek, Jess' body relaxing as he drifted off. Then the thought dawned on the man: Jess could die, his nephew could die from this! He gripped the boy's weak hand tight, the idea scaring him to death itself. He couldn't lose Jess, not after he just got him back!

* * *

Thank you all for reading! I hope you liked it.

I'll try and update later in the week.

Please, please, please, review!

:)


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Thank you all so much for reviewing, I'm so glad you guys like my story so much! Here's Chapter Eight. I hope you guys like it!

Please, please, please review!

:)

* * *

The first two days at the hospital thankfully went by without incident, Jess sleeping for the most part. Luke was at the boy's side from the start of visiting hours until the end of them. He would have stayed with the kid the whole night, but the nurses wouldn't allow it. They kept telling him to go get some rest, assuring him that Jess would be sleeping peacefully in the same bed the next morning.

The whole town had heard the news of Jess' state, the ambulance arriving at his diner two days prior a big indicator that something was wrong. Lorelai had called him the second she heard, telling him that if there was anything he needed to just ask her. She told him she would come visit him today at the hospital, lunch in tow.

Luke sat near his nephew's bed, the boy awake and staring at the television. There wasn't much to do at a hospital, causing Jess to constantly flip through channels, occasionally stopping on an odd movie or old television show. They were watching a show now, Jess staring intensely at the screen.

"Do you understand what's going on?" he asked, looking over at his uncle.

"I don't know Spanish, Jess," he responded, "Why don't we watch something that's in our native tongue?"

"No," Jess stubbornly responded, leaning back, "This show's entertaining. Look at that man in the yellow suit. Is he supposed to be from The Mask or something?"

Luke rolled his eyes at the boy's comment. He couldn't understand why the boy even wanted to watch this show in the first place.

"It's this or _Days of Our Lives,_ because that's the only English show on." he smirked.

"Watch what you want Jess," Luke advised.

Jess just shrugged in response, turning his attention back to the show. Being stuck in the hospital was driving him stir crazy. He couldn't stand being stuck in Luke's apartment for more than two hours, let alone a whole night. He had been stuck in that hospital for almost three days now with nothing to do except watch television and sleep. He had been watching the same shows over and over again, nothing else to do. He was about to kill someone if he had to watch _Dude, Where's My Car? _one more time. His brain was rotting from all the crap he had forced himself to watch in the last two and a half days.

Luke heard a knock on the door, causing him to turn his head to see who it was. Jess chose to ignore it, his mind still wrapped up in figuring out what has happening in the Spanish show he was watching.

Lorelai smiled at Luke, the man smiled back.

"Hi," the atmosphere was a little too quiet for Lorelai. She forced a smile, lifting her basket. "I come baring goods! Just your typical Little Red Riding Hood..." she walked in to no response. "Wow, tough crowd."

"We're in a hospital, Lorelai, not a club," Luke leaned back apathetic. "But it's nice to see you."

"Glad we've established that. So how are you feeling Holden Caulfield?" she asked the boy.

"Better," he answered, his attention remaining on the television.

Lorelai looked over at the screen. "Spanish television," she nodded, "Very educational. I approve, Luke. Going the Muzzy route with exposure, huh?"

"Jess is stuck on this show," Luke told Lorelai, who was now joining the boy in his intense staring contest with the television, "Even though he has no idea what's going on."

"What is that guy supposed to be, The Mask minus the green face?" Lorelai asked, moving to the left a bit to get a better look at the screen.

"That's what I said," Jess informed the Gilmore, glancing over at her for a second, "I think he's either her husband or her pimp." he guessed, referring to the woman who had just appeared on the screen.

Lorelai nodded, staring at the woman on the screen with an intense gaze, "It's hard to tell though."

Luke rolled his eyes at their conversation, finding it completely stupid. Lorelai took a seat next to Luke and pulled two white containers out.

"Well, Big Bad Wolf, aren't you going to ask for my basket yet?" she smiled, handing Luke a container.

Luke stared at the container before opening it. "This isn't poisoned, is it?"

"I am insulted you'd say that to such a sweet, innocent little girl. Just open it!"

Jess eyed the burger as Luke opened the box, craving something other then the nutrients they had been pumping into his stomach.

"Could I have a bite?" Jess asked, "Just one."

"Jess, you know what the doctor said--"

"No solids, I know." he grunted, looking over at Lorelai, "Apparently my body's too weak to handle anything with flavor."

"Jess," Luke sighed.

"Just one bite, it's not like they'll find out," Jess begged.

"No," Luke responded, taking a bite of his burger, almost mocking the boy.

"Luke!" Jess whined.

"You can't have solids," He reminded again.

The boy rolled his eyes and turned to his side. "Fine," he mumbled, "I'm going to sleep."

"Alright," Luke nodded, "Good night."

Jess mumbled something incoherent before adjusting himself into a comfortable position, his body soon going still a minute after.

Luke looked over at Lorelai, the Gilmore smirking.

"He seems better," she smiled, her eyes glancing over to the boy's form for a brief moment.

"Yeah, thankfully." Luke nodded, "I was afraid there'd be some complication or something."

Lorelai nodded, looking over at the boy. She saw the boy's calm composure and watched his steady breathes.

"He's already asleep," Luke smiled, following his friends gaze, "He goes out fast. He's been sleeping all week so far."

She looked back to her friend and smiled, "It's so odd seeing him like this. He seems so childish, less Jim-Stark-like."

Luke smiled and looked over at his nephew for a minute. Even though the boy was sleeping, he could tell he wasn't comfortable in that bed. His body was too exhausted to care though, as long as it had a place to lay, it was fine. Jess wanted out of there, Luke could tell, the kid resorting to Spanish television a sure sign of that. Luke's smile disappeared at the thought. He looked back at his friend, the woman looking at him with concern.

"This is my fault," he sighed, the woman intently listening, "If I had watched him more carefully, if I had taken more charge--"

"No, Luke, this isn't your fault," she assured the man, "People get sick, that's all. You can't blame yourself for that fact that he ended up here."

"He shouldn't be here though, he's been through enough already, it's not fair that he ended up here." Luke told his friend, "I should have been taking care of him more, I'm supposed to be the parent."

"Luke, don't blame yourself, there was nothing you could do," Lorelai assured him. She hated seeing him blame himself for what had happened.

"If I had just--"

"Stop it!" Jess yelled, startling the two as he sat up, "It's not your fault, stop blaming yourself. It was my own stupidity that caused me to end up in here! It's my fault, not yours!"

After the initial shock by the boy's outburst had passed, Luke spoke up.

"Jess, I thought you were asleep," Luke asked, his voice calm.

"It's hard to sleep when only your lullaby is two adults fighting," Jess grumbled angrily.

Lorelai sat shocked. "I'm sorry, Jess?"

"I'm going back to sleep," he apathetically mumbled, falling back down on the bed, adjusting his body before shutting his eyes.

Lorelai looked over Luke, the man's shock returning as the second half of the boy's outburst ended, "It wasn't your fault," she reassured him, "Listen to your nephew."

Luke nodded and looked over at Jess, Lorelai's gaze following.

"I have to go," she told the man, standing up, "Have to get back to the Inn. Besides, one adult can't fight with himself."

"Alright," Luke nodded, looking over at Lorelai, "Thanks for coming."

"No problem," she smiled, "I'm glad to see he's doing better."

"Me too," Luke agreed.

Lorelai left the room, leaving Luke to watch over a sleeping Jess.

* * *

Thank you all for reading! I hope you liked it.

This story is wrapping up, the next chapter should be the last.

I have another story I want to post next, another Jess and Luke centric story. I'll start posting it soon after this one ends.

Please, please, please review! I really appreciate the input!

Thanks again for reading.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Thank you all so much for the reviews from last chapter, I really appreciated them and I'm glad you liked it!

Well, here's the final chapter, I hope you like it. I'm working on a sequel to this, but before I post it I have another story I've been wanting to post for a while. It's of course another Jess and Luke centric.

Please review!

:)

* * *

Luke was relieved to hear they were releasing Jess early, the boy's body now fighting the virus on its own. His immune system wasn't perfect, but it was strong enough to handle what was left of the virus. They prescribed him two medications: one for pneumonia and one for his immune system. Things had been a bit awkward since Jess' outburst the day before, Jess still a bit angry at Luke for blaming himself. In all honesty, Jess believed it was his fault that he ended up getting so sick. He neglected that fact that something was wrong, he just wanting to move on from the events prior to his return to Stars Hollow and get on with his life back with Luke. He didn't want to deal with being sick, he just wanted to return to his life before going back to New York.

Jess sat on his hospital bed, waiting for Luke to return. He had changed out of the gown he had been wearing for the past four days and into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that Luke had brought him. His coat sat next to him on the bed, Jess feeling no need to put it on yet. Even though he was being released, he still was feeling and even looking pretty crappy. His skin was still a sickening pale color and his eyes had a mix of black and a pinkish color underneath them. His clothes were still a bit baggy on him, his shirt sliding off his left shoulder constantly. After adjusting it about twenty times, the boy gave up and let it have its way, the shirt now hanging loosely off his shoulder, exposing the pale skin underneath.

Jess stared toward the ground, thinking back again to his outburst the day before. He shouldn't have blown up like that, he knew that, but he was just so angry about how Luke was constantly blaming himself. It wasn't his uncle's fault, he wasn't the one who tried to pretend there was nothing wrong. He should be able to take care of himself, he shouldn't have to rely on his uncle for help, and his uncle shouldn't think he should be the one caring for the boy. Jess was being stubborn and stupid, it was his fault that he was sick. He couldn't understand why his uncle couldn't see this. Usually, Luke would be yelling at the boy for his stupidly and neglect of his health, like how he did back in New York, but instead he was blaming himself. Luke should be angry at him, Jess thought, _he_ shouldn't be angry at Luke. The man would have to pay a hefty hospital bill, and he had probably lost business due to the diner being closed for the first day he had been there. His uncle should be yelling at him, but instead it was the other way around.

Jess heard the squeak of a wheel and looked up to see Luke with a wheel chair.

"Ready to go?" he asked, walking over to the boy.

Jess nodded and looked over at the wheel chair.

"My feet are capable of walking," he mumbled to his uncle, the man pulling Jess' shirt sleeve back onto his shoulder, it falling down again seconds later.

"You're still weak from being sick," Luke told the boy, handing him his jacket and trying adjust the sleeve of the boy's shirt once more.

"I still am sick," he shrugged, standing up and sitting in the chair.

"Right," Luke nodded, "You are."

Luke grabbed Jess' bag with the clothes he arrived in from off the bed and looked over at the

boy.

"Put your coat on," he instructed his nephew, "It's cold out."

Jess rolled his eyes and put his jacket on, leaving it unzipped. "Zip it up," Luke ordered as he began to push the chair.

"I'll survive," he replied.

"Jess..." Luke warned. Jess just stared ahead, ignoring his uncle. Luke stopped pushing and walked in front of the boy.

"What are you--?" Jess began, stopping as his uncle kneeled and down and zipped up his coat.

Jess rolled his eyes as Luke got back up and began pushing again. He pushed the boy out the door, the cold air hitting them with force. Jess shut his eyes tightly, the cold air stinging as it hit his face. Luke pushed the boy to his car and Jess stood up. He opened the door to the passenger side and got in. Luke shut the door for the kid and walked to the other side of the car, getting in and slamming his door. Jess buckled his seat belt, Luke following. The man started the car and began to drive away, the two sitting in awkward silence.

Jess started to fiddle with the radio, shuffling through stations. After about five minutes with no station chosen, Luke cut in.

"Make up your mind already, Jess." He sighed, his eyes still focused on the road.

Jess shut off the radio fiercely and looked at the window. He was waiting for Luke to yell at him. He'd been waiting all afternoon. Luke should be angry at him, why wouldn't he yell already?

"God dammit," Jess snapped, causing Luke to look over wide eyed and startled, "Start yelling already! Why aren't you angry at me?! I was an idiot, when I'm usually acting like an idiot you yell at me! I'm sick of you blaming yourself for this! You don't blame yourself, you yell at me, understand!?"

"Jess--" Luke started.

"I made you lose business, and that hospital bill has got to be expensive! You should be angry at me for being such an idiot!" Jess continued, interrupting his uncle, "I'm a fuck-up! All I ever do is screw things up! I'm a burden to everyone!"

"Jess, no, there's no reason to be angry at you," Luke told him, "All that matters is that you're okay. Yes, you were being an idiot but thankfully everything ended up being alright. I'm not going to yell at you for being sick. You don't screw things up, don't ever say that! Stupidity runs in the family, Jess." He looked over at his nephew, "I was an idiot for shipping you back to Liz, I should have known she would do something stupid like kick you out."

Jess sighed and looked towards the ground. A smirk appeared on his face, "Our family is full of idiots."

Luke chuckled and glanced over at his nephew, "It is." They sat in silence for a minute, Jess staring towards his feet.

"Sorry about snapping," the boy spoke up, looking over at his uncle..

"It's fine." Luke shrugged, looking over at his nephew, concerned, "You're not a screw-up, you understand me? Nor a burden," he added, "It's just--you don't deserve to have to deal with all this, you deserve a better mother, you deserve so much better than what you have."

"Instead of the perfect mother, I got you," he shrugged, giving the man a smile, "You're more than enough to make up for her lack of parental skills. You took me in when I had nowhere to go, and you came to find me in New York. You could have just ignored Amelia's call, like anyone else I know would have, but you didn't. I really appreciate everything you've done for me, Luke, I mean it."

Luke turned towards his nephew and gently squeezed his shoulder, "I already knew that," he smiled, "But thanks for saying it."

Jess smiled and rested his head against the head-rest, shutting his eyes, "I'm going to get some rest."

"Alright," Luke smiled, removing his hand and turning his attention back to the road. "Jess," he added, the boy opening one eye to look towards his uncle, "Thanks for not dying on me this week," he glanced at the boy, a smile on his face.

Jess smiled and shut his eye, "It was my pleasure, Uncle Luke."

* * *

Luke turned the key in the ignition, turning off the car. Jess' head had somehow managed to make its way onto Luke's shoulder, the boy resting peacefully against it. Luke looked towards the kid, a faint smile on his face. The boy's jacket was large on him, making Jess look much smaller than he really was. He watched his nephew's steady breaths, a relief to the man. Four days ago, the boy needed an oxygen mask barely able to breath on his own. He was thankful he hadn't lost Jess. The first night at the hospital had been terrible for the man. Watching his nephew lay in that bed, helpless and weak, machines and tubes connected to the boy's skinny arms--Luke had never been so scared in his life. Seeing Jess now, much stronger, though still pale and frail, was a relief for the man.

The car began to get colder, Luke almost able to see his breath. He knew he needed to get Jess out of the cold, the boy still ill.

"Jess," he called, rubbing his thumb through the boy's hair with his unoccupied arm, "Jess, wake up."

His nephew gently lifted his head up to look up at the man. He sat up straight and rubbed his eyes, a yawn escaping his lips.

"Are we back at the diner?" Jess asked, looking over at his uncle, his eyes slightly squinted.

"Yeah," Luke smiled. "Let's get you inside and into bed, alright?"

Jess nodded and grabbed the handle to his door, opening it slowly. Luke got out of the truck and walked over to the sidewalk. He watched Jess slowly get out of the truck, the boy half asleep, stumbling as he stepped out onto the sidewalk. "I'm way too tired," he mumbled as he shut the car door, "Damn those pills they gave me, they make me look so drunk."

Luke let out a chuckle as Jess made his way over the man, "Let's get you inside." Luke lead the boy to the diner door, Jess almost leaning on the man for support. He unlocked the door and opened it, helping his nephew into the diner. The boy made his way to the stairs, Luke following behind him. As he pushed the curtain aside, he stared at the steep set of stairs and let out a moan.

"Can I just sleep down here?" he whimpered, leaning against the doorframe, "I don't think I can make it up the stairs without passing out."

"Come on," Luke grabbed the boy's waist and dragged him up the first few steps, "It's not that long of a way up."

The boy let out another moan as Luke dragged him up the remainder of the steps, the boy using the man as support, the little energy he had not enough to keep him upright. Luke opened the door to the apartment and dragged Jess in. He gently laid Jess down on his bed and pulled the covers over the kid's skinny body.

"Thanks," Jess mumbled, pulling the blankets around himself tighter.

Luke smiled at the boy and stroked his hair, "Good night, Jess."

"Night Luke," he mumbled, quickly falling fast asleep, thankful to finally be back in his own bed.

* * *

Thank you all so much for reading this story, I hoped you guys liked the ending!

I'll try and post the first chapter of my new story sometime this weekend.

Please review!


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